Activities

Securities Lending Facility

Eligible parties are able to borrow Treasury Bonds and Treasury Indexed Bonds through a securities lending facility provided by the Australian Office of Financial Management (AOFM). The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) operates the facility on behalf of the AOFM.

The lending facility allows bond market participants to borrow Treasury Bonds and Treasury Indexed Bonds when they are not readily available from other sources in the market.

Treasury Bonds and Treasury Indexed Bonds may be borrowed open term (a minimum of one day and automatically rolled each business day until terminated) or intraday.

The facility is intended to enhance the efficiency of the Treasury Bond and Treasury Indexed Bond markets.

The capacity of intermediaries to make two-way prices, particularly for bonds that become 'tight' in the repurchase market, is increased if Treasury Bonds and Treasury Indexed Bonds can be borrowed when required on an open term basis.

Settlement processing of financial transactions involving Treasury Bonds and Treasury Indexed Bonds can in some situations be made significantly smoother for market participants if such bonds can be borrowed intraday.

The facility operates through repurchase agreements between the RBA and bond market participants. A repurchase agreement (commonly referred to as a repo) involves a holder of debt securities (for example, Treasury Bonds) selling them for cash, and simultaneously agreeing to repurchase them at a fixed price on a fixed date in the future.

Securities lending facilities similar to this facility are operated by the State Government borrowing authorities and many overseas sovereign borrowers.

The following is more detailed information concerning the facility:

Securities Available to be Borrowed

The AOFM manages a stock of Treasury Bonds and Treasury Indexed Bonds created and issued under the Commonwealth Inscribed Stock Act 1911 for the purpose of securities lending by the Treasurer. Any Treasury Bond or Treasury Indexed Bond line currently on public issue is available for borrowing via the facility.

The aggregate face value amount of bonds available for borrowing via the facility is $5 billion.

While every reasonable attempt will be made to meet all requests to borrow bonds through the facility, there is no commitment to fulfil all requests.

Collateral

Counterparties borrowing bonds through the facility must provide collateral in the form of acceptable securities.

Securities accepted as collateral are those government-related Australian-dollar denominated securities accepted by the RBA as general collateral in relation to repurchase agreements with the RBA. These securities include:

Counterparties can request to substitute one or more lines of collateral securities for others over the term of an open term securities lending transaction.

Role of Reserve of Bank of Australia (RBA)

The RBA operates the facility on behalf of the AOFM. The RBA contracts as principal, vis a vis a counterparty, in securities lending transactions undertaken through the facility.

Requests to access the facility should be directed to the RBA's Domestic Markets Desk on +61 2 9551 8321. Market participants wishing to access the facility should notify the RBA by 5:45 pm/7:45 pm AEDT on the day they wish to take delivery of securities. For RITS members who do not operate an Exchange Settlement account, access should be notified by 3:45 pmon the day they wish to take delivery of securities. Approaches after these respective times will be dealt with on a 'best endeavours' basis.

Eligible Counterparties

Any member of the Reserve Bank Information and Transfer System (RITS) eligible to participate in the Reserve Bank’s domestic market operations is able to access the securities lending facility.

Transaction Type

Each securities lending transaction will be completed using a cash matched repurchase agreement and reverse repurchase agreement. The RBA will pay cash to the counterparty to purchase the collateral securities under a reverse repurchase agreement, and the loaned bonds will be sold to the counterparty, in exchange for cash, under a repurchase agreement.

Counterparties should note that by entering a repurchase agreement with the RBA into the Austraclear System, the counterparty is agreeing to be bound by the terms of The Bond Market Association/International Securities Market Association (TBMA/ISMA) Global Master Repurchase Agreement, as amended for Australia by Exhibit A of the RITS Regulations and Conditions of Operation.

Settlement Period and Term

The first leg of each repurchase agreement and reverse repurchase agreement are for same-day settlement on any day which is not a public holiday in Sydney.

In the case of intraday securities lending transactions, the second leg of each repurchase agreement and reverse repurchase agreement is transacted to be settled on the same day as the first leg. If the second leg of an intraday securities lending transaction is not completed by the end of the SWIFT End Session, the transaction becomes an open term securities lending transaction. For RITS members who do not operate an Exchange Settlement (ES) account, the second leg of an intraday securities lending transaction must be completed by the end of the RITS Daily Settlement Session, otherwise the transaction becomes an open term securities lending transaction.

An open term securities lending transaction is automatically rolled on the same terms at 5:45 pm/7:45 pm AEDT each business day unless either the RBA or the counterparty advise otherwise prior to this time. For RITS members who do not operate an ES account, an open term securities lending transaction is automatically rolled on the same terms at 3:45 pm each business day unless either the RBA or the counterparty advise otherwise prior to this time. The maturity date can be the same day the advice is received.

Intraday securities loans must be unwound in full; they cannot be partially unwound.

Initial Margin

A margin ratio is applied to the collateral securities purchased by the RBA. This is done in accordance with the rules applying to reciprocal purchase transactions in the RITS Regulations and Conditions of Operation.

Margin Calls

Margin calls are conducted in accordance with the rules applying to reciprocal purchase agreements as set out in the RITS Regulations and Conditions of Operation. When deciding to make a margin call, the RBA will take into account its overall position with a counterparty.

In the normal course, margin payments made by either the RBA, or the counterparty, will be met by a free of cash transfer of the required collateral securities in Austraclear.

Minimum Transaction Size

The minimum amount of a specific line of bonds that can be borrowed through the facility is $5 million (face value).

Interest Rates

Interest is payable only in respect of open term securities lending transactions.

The interest rate payable to a counterparty on cash borrowed by the RBA under a repurchase agreement in Treasury Bonds or Treasury Indexed Bonds will be the RBA cash rate target less a margin determined by the AOFM.

The interest rate payable by a counterparty on cash lent by the RBA under a reverse repurchase agreement against the collateral securities will be the RBA cash rate target.

In the case of an intraday securities lending transaction, the counterparty will be subject to charges applied by the RBA to reflect fees levied by Austraclear on the RBA in relation to the transaction.

Reporting

Details regarding bonds on loan to counterparties at the end of each day are updated each business day on the RBA's electronic news service pages (Bloomberg - RBA6 and Reuters - RBA29).

Historical data on bonds lent on an open term basis via the facility are updated on the fifth business day of each month.